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Oct. 30th, 2016 06:32 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
sunskatesmeme responses since plurk paste isn't cooperating.
eric.
“Puncture wounds on the neck,” Detective Eric noted, dispassionately poking at the body in front of him. The formerly alive young man was of average build, with average looks and presumably a completely average personality. Though Eric supposed he would never find out, what with him being dead and all.
“Hmmm,” his partner Partner McPartnerson agreed, although she may have simply been humming along to music. Eric could hear some sort of poppy-sounding music coming from her earbuds.
Eric scratched his chin. It made him look more thoughtful. “I have a sneaking suspicion.”
“Hmmmmmmmm,” Detective McPartnerson added, bobbing her head. She dutifully added some notes in her clipboard as Eric prodded at the corpse’s leg.
Then the body lunged at him.
Eric yelled and jumped back.
“Blafugasdha!”
“What are you going on about?” McPartnerson asked, not looking up from her clipboard. “I’ve got a really great song going on right now; don’t ruin it.”
“Grab the stake!”
“Why do you want a steak? There’s leftovers in the fridge if you want.” The corpse-thing was moving steadily closer to her as she remained blissfully unaware.
“Fucking synonyms!” he swore under his breath, as he tackled McPartnerson to the ground. He could hear the sound of fangs biting, narrowing missing his flesh.
Then he looked up, and screamed.
WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?
TUNE IN NEXT TIME FOR
VERED IS TOO DRUNK FOR THIS SHIT
tomiko.
Magic is sacrifice. That was the lesson Tomiko had drilled in him, starting from age twelve on his first day as a Mage Cadet. Magic is sacrifice, because magic is power, and power comes from sacrifice. The Empress sacrificed her being to serve her people, the people sacrificed their freedom for the good of the Empire. That was the natural order of things.
Tomiko made sacrifices so he could rain fire down from the sky and call deluges upon the earth. It began with blood, as it had with all the Mage Cadets. Cut your arm to call forth a lightning strike. Go without food for three days to make an enemy’s land barren. Hurt yourself so your tears will bring down rain upon famished soil. Cut your already-scarred arm once more to bring the ships back home.
It was more of the latter sort of work that Tomiko preferred, the sort of sacrifices that helped the innocents. Though he’d had classmates who’d relished in being powerful, he had become a Mage Knight so he could protect the ones he loved. Mage Knights in their full power were feared and respected, and no one would hurt his loved ones ever again.
But the world was slowly darkening, as all the sacrifices became too much to bear. There were whispers of rebellion in the countryside, of disappearances in the cities. The Empress was retreating further into her walled city, taking with her the spiritual well-bring of the Empire.
All Tomiko had wanted was for those he loved to be happy. As he stared into the growing maelstrom, he thought of Julie, of their cat, of the wonderful life they had a home, and wondered if he loved his country enough to sacrifice his love for them.
He couldn’t do it.
—
Years later, when he and Julie were old and the Empire was long gone, he looked up at her, in their simple cabin in the countryside, and smiled.
She smiled back.
eric.
“Puncture wounds on the neck,” Detective Eric noted, dispassionately poking at the body in front of him. The formerly alive young man was of average build, with average looks and presumably a completely average personality. Though Eric supposed he would never find out, what with him being dead and all.
“Hmmm,” his partner Partner McPartnerson agreed, although she may have simply been humming along to music. Eric could hear some sort of poppy-sounding music coming from her earbuds.
Eric scratched his chin. It made him look more thoughtful. “I have a sneaking suspicion.”
“Hmmmmmmmm,” Detective McPartnerson added, bobbing her head. She dutifully added some notes in her clipboard as Eric prodded at the corpse’s leg.
Then the body lunged at him.
Eric yelled and jumped back.
“Blafugasdha!”
“What are you going on about?” McPartnerson asked, not looking up from her clipboard. “I’ve got a really great song going on right now; don’t ruin it.”
“Grab the stake!”
“Why do you want a steak? There’s leftovers in the fridge if you want.” The corpse-thing was moving steadily closer to her as she remained blissfully unaware.
“Fucking synonyms!” he swore under his breath, as he tackled McPartnerson to the ground. He could hear the sound of fangs biting, narrowing missing his flesh.
Then he looked up, and screamed.
WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?
TUNE IN NEXT TIME FOR
VERED IS TOO DRUNK FOR THIS SHIT
tomiko.
Magic is sacrifice. That was the lesson Tomiko had drilled in him, starting from age twelve on his first day as a Mage Cadet. Magic is sacrifice, because magic is power, and power comes from sacrifice. The Empress sacrificed her being to serve her people, the people sacrificed their freedom for the good of the Empire. That was the natural order of things.
Tomiko made sacrifices so he could rain fire down from the sky and call deluges upon the earth. It began with blood, as it had with all the Mage Cadets. Cut your arm to call forth a lightning strike. Go without food for three days to make an enemy’s land barren. Hurt yourself so your tears will bring down rain upon famished soil. Cut your already-scarred arm once more to bring the ships back home.
It was more of the latter sort of work that Tomiko preferred, the sort of sacrifices that helped the innocents. Though he’d had classmates who’d relished in being powerful, he had become a Mage Knight so he could protect the ones he loved. Mage Knights in their full power were feared and respected, and no one would hurt his loved ones ever again.
But the world was slowly darkening, as all the sacrifices became too much to bear. There were whispers of rebellion in the countryside, of disappearances in the cities. The Empress was retreating further into her walled city, taking with her the spiritual well-bring of the Empire.
All Tomiko had wanted was for those he loved to be happy. As he stared into the growing maelstrom, he thought of Julie, of their cat, of the wonderful life they had a home, and wondered if he loved his country enough to sacrifice his love for them.
He couldn’t do it.
—
Years later, when he and Julie were old and the Empire was long gone, he looked up at her, in their simple cabin in the countryside, and smiled.
She smiled back.
